The Army Treatment
by andromyntra1
Summary: A story set in the same AU as "How to Train your Spider." This is a larger account of an incident briefly alluded to in that story, of the first time Steve disciplines Peter by yelling at him. Talk of Spanking, verbal abuse of a 15 year old. Don't like, Don't read.


"It works, it works, it works" Peter Parker, the newest resident of Avengers tower shouted with glee, webbing up the wall of Tony's workshop. Tony stood by laughing like an evil overlord. The two had worked all night on the new webbing.

"I'll go show the others!" Peter bounced around the walls.

"It's 6:30 AM. They'll kill you!" Tony loved having the boy in the Tower. His personal find - a superhero boy genius! Strong enough to impress Natasha, smart enough to impress Bruce.

"I'll show Cap!" Peter jumped out the window and into Steve's floor.

Tony watched him. Well that was certainly true. Steve would be up, full of patriotism and righteousness. That man! "Dum-E, get me coffee, and quick." Tony commanded.

Peter swung through the window and ran inside, searching for Steve. He shouted "Cap, Cap, see this-"

"Peter, up so early?" Peter heard Steve's voice first before he saw Steve. Apparently he had just stepped out of the shower, for he was still drying his hair with a towel. And he was stark naked! Peter froze like a deer in headlights for a moment, then turned and ran straight out the door. Steve stood frozen. Now what was wrong?

"Please tell me that's it's not something taboo." Steve said at the breakfast table.

"He ran in? You had no idea he would be there?" Tony asked.

"No, I did know he was there. He was making enough noise to wake the dead. I wouldn't have walked out if it was Wanda or Natasha running around my suite screaming stuff!"

That was a funny image. Rhodey chuckled.

"You did nothing wrong." Tony said, as Rhodey nodded agreement.

"Why did he freak out like that? Doesn't he have gym classes? Communal showers?" Steve asked.

"Some schools have communal showers, others have stalls." Clint said. "The boy looks like he would have been summarily excused from gym classes though - he's a scrawny-" Clint broke off at Steve's raised eyebrow. "Sorry Cap, I forget to take my foot out of my mouth in the mornings sometimes." Peter walked in at that moment, easing the tension for Clint. He was tense, though. He had walked in on Steve Rogers when he was naked. Argh. He dragged his feet into the room, looked at Steve and blushed a bright red.

"I'm sorry, Peter. I didn't know you would be that shocked." Steve said in a casual voice.

"Uh, no.. I'm sorry I walked in on you!" Peter stammered.

"Who, me? I'm not bothered. I'm a soldier, remember?" Steve smiled at the boy.

Peter raised an eyebrow."What does being a soldier have to do with it?"

"Well, you know kid - you just lose your modesty in Basic." Rhodes spoke for the first time. "Basic Training." he said in response to Peter's puzzled look.

"They make you walk around naked!?" Peter had never thought about what exactly soldiers did during training.

"Well, less that - more that there's no personal space" Rhodey said, and Steve added. "And no time either. Basic training is hell on Earth!"

"Oh, Basic? Trading happy memories of getting yelled at?" Sam walked in and poured himself coffee.

"Don't remind me" Steve said, with a grin. "That drill instructor probably yelled "Rogers!" in his sleep!"

Peter jumped on to the table. "They yelled? Why?"

"Seriously, kid! Haven't you watched Full Metal Jacket?" Tony asked.

Steve, Sam and Rhodey shared a look. The spoilt billionaire scolding a boy for not knowing about the army, by not watching a movie.

"No." Peter answered.

"Get off the table." Steve said, with a look at Tony. That should have been him scolding Peter. Tony rolled his eyes.

Peter jumped off onto the floor. "Really though, why would they yell at you?"

"Oh, if you ask too many questions." Sam said, with a pointed look.

"If you break any one of a gazillion rules." Rhodey added.

"Anything really, Peter. It's a way of instilling army values. Making you disciplined." Steve summed it up.

"I thought they beat the recruits." Peter was not done yet.

"That requires military law. If they waited for that for every broken rule..." Rhodey said, as Steve cut in.

"In my day it was actually OK to punch us. My drill instructor gave me a slap once. So hard I passed out."

"What happened then?" Peter asked, his eyes wide.

"I woke up. And then I got yelled at around 20 times a day!" he chuckled. "The yelling was much worse!"

"I can't believe getting yelled at is all that bad. I mean sticks and stones right?" Peter picked up a piece of toast. The three military men looked at each other for a moment, and started to laugh. Tony and Peter stared at each other.

Steve stopped, taking a shaky breath. It had been a long time since he'd laughed that hard. Sam looked him straight in the eye. "You find me funny, do you, soldier?" he barked, starting them off again.

"You know what's funny? The way you yell the same sort of stuff when you're in command and someone screws up." Rhodey said and Steve nodded.

Sam added, "I never had to do it, thankfully!"

"Cap, the next time I do something you don't like, you should just yell at me instead of taking away stuff! Seems easy to me!" Peter shrugged and jumped right over the table.

"That kid needs a spanked butt." Rhodey said to the room in general.

"Yes, he does, Tony! His attitude is getting worse by the day. Warn him at least!" Steve said to Tony.

"He's a good kid. Just a bit excited." Tony said, walking out with his third mug of coffee.

"Pietro is a good kid too. But he does need his butt warmed once in a while, and I do it." Clint answered as Pietro came in. By his frown, it was clear that he'd heard Clint. "That's it. I'm shutting up for the rest of the day." Clint got up and whispered "Sorry, lightning!" to Pietro.

Steve frowned. Clint kept a very close eye on Pietro, while Peter was free to do whatever he wanted. That was not a good thing!

The next day when the Avengers were at dinner, Peter had not come down.

"Jarvis, get Peter down here, please." Steve said.

"Captain, Peter is not in the tower."

"He's not supposed to leave without your permission." Steve turned to Tony.

"Well, he has left, and it's easy to spot him." Tony said. "Jarvis, find Peter please."

"I am not able to find Peter, Sir!" Jarvis answered.

"His mobile? His gauntlet?" Tony asked, with a slight touch of panic in his voice.

"Sir, Peter's mobile has run out of battery. His gauntlet is in his room." The level voice of the AI was in stark contrast to the rest of the room.

Dinner was forgotten as the Avengers used every method at their disposal to search for Peter. Jarvis ran through security footage and traffic cameras while Steve and Natasha searched for renewed criminal activity.

"Clint, I'll run down and check if he's there anywhere? He couldn't have gone far! I'll wear a comm, and - " Pietro asked Clint.

Clint's irritation peaked at the interruption, but he willed himself to speak calmly. "Pietro, if he's in danger or he's lost and you go after him there'll be two of you we have to search for. Go up to your lounge - or you and Wanda can have dinner?"

Seething, Pietro went to the teens' lounge where Wanda was meditating.

"Perfect Peter Parker!" He kicked a cushion to the floor.

"Petya-" Wanda started.

"He can do no wrong!" Peter threw himself on the couch.

"It's really not that like that!" Wanda got up to sit next to him.

"Oh really? It's not like that? He's supposed to be Stark's protégé, but half the time he's with . The guy doesn't even like Cap or Natasha in there for too long! And you know he still doesn't like you!" That was true. Bruce did not talk to the twins much, and he was barely civil to Wanda.

"Pietro, he's younger than us!" Wanda placed a hand on Pietro's back, which he shrugged off.

"Not by that much - the way Stark goes on about webshooters and stuff, you'd think he's bloody Einstein! And Cap likes him because he's from Queens!"

"Right, all that is true," Wanda admitted, "But he's missing now!"

Sam was about to request military assistance when the AI spoke again.

"Sir, a new photograph has been taken in Peter's camera."

As the team stared, an image of Spider-man came up. It was a selfie, with a would-be mugger webbed up in the background.

"Where, Jarvis?" Steve asked through clenched teeth. Tony was already suiting up.

"Sir, it was a block from here. Peter has just entered the building." Jarvis answered. The team sat down, no one willing to say anything.

"Wanda, Pietro" Jarvis said "Peter is back and he's safe. You are to stay in your lounge, or go back to your rooms. Do not come to the common floor."

"Finally! The punk is going to get his arse tanned!" Pietro sank back into the couch. Wanda rolled her eyes, though she also felt a grim sense of satisfaction. Peter deserved what was coming to him.

Peter came into the room in his suit with his mask off.

"Hey, am I late for dinner? Mr. Stark, why are you -"

"You didn't tell me before going out, didn't wear your new gauntlet, your phone ran out of charge. We were looking for you." Tony's voice was icily calm.

"I'm sorry, . I didn't want anyone to worry." Peter said, seeing how angry everyone was.

"How did you take that selfie when your battery was dead?" Clint asked.

"I had an external battery pack-" Peter said in a very small voice.

Clint swore, glared daggers and Natasha punched a chair. Peter gulped. He was in big trouble!

"Go to your room, Peter." Steve said, and Peter fled in relief.

"Tony, you have to spank that kid." Steve spat at Tony.

"I don't know how to!" Tony said.

"That's no excuse, Stark!" Clint almost shouted, and Steve held up a hand.

"If you don't do it, I'm going to do something about it." Steve strode off.

Peter sat in his room. He had really screwed up now! They were all so angry! He heard the elevator, and he looked up to see Steve slam open the entered, and slammed the door shut again. If Peter wanted him to yell, he would!

Peter winced as the door slammed shut. Cap was angry! Was he going to get spanked?

"Stand up Parker!" he barked out. Peter stood up, and Steve moved in front of him.

"WHAT DO YOU THINK THIS PLACE IS, PARKER? YOUR PERSONAL AMUSEMENT PARK? THAT THE REST OF US HAVE NOTHING TO DO HERE?"

"Uh, Cap?" Peter winced at the way Steve shouted. What was wrong?

Steve was fully into his role of shouting commanding officer, and the informality was infuriating. "SHUT UP! SPEAK ONLY WHEN YOU'RE ASKED A QUESTION. AND DON'T YOU DARE LOOK AWAY!"

Peter's heart thudded in his chest. Why was he yelling? Oh yeah - the yelling. Right.

"Cap, I get it about the yelling. It's scary and-"

OH, YOU THINK IT'S SCARY? YOU GET IT? YOU THINK I'M PUTTING ON A BLOODY SHOW FOR YOU, PARKER?"

Five minutes later, Tony asked Jarvis about Peter.

"YOU COULD HAVE BEEN KIDNAPPED. YOU COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED! THIS IS THE AVENGERS TOWER. THE WHOLE BLOODY GALAXY HAS EYES ON IT. YOU THINK YOU CAN JUST LEAVE? WITHOUT TELLING ANYONE? YOU REALIZE THE MILITARY WAS ALMOST INVOLVED?

"Captain Rogers is still talking to him, Sir."

Steve was channeling his own drill instructors, shouting insults at Peter.

"YOU UGLY, WORTHLESS PIECE OF GARBAGE. YOU THINK YOURSELF TOO GOOD FOR RULES BECAUSE YOU CAN SWING OFF A **** WEB?

Peter's legs seemed to have turned to jelly. Cap had never sworn at him, or anybody else. He tried to think of something else, anything other than...

Steve saw Peter's eyes look into the distance.

"ARE YOU LISTENING, PARKER? YOU THINK YOU CAN TUNE ME OUT?"

Peter trembled. Steve was yelling right into his ear.

"BEING IN A FREAK ACCIDENT DOESN'T MAKE YOU SPECIAL PARKER, YOU HEAR ME? YOU DESERVE TO BE IN A CIRCUS! PRANCING AROUND AFTER CLOWNS, THAT'S WHAT YOU DESERVE! IF YOU WANT TO LIVE IN THIS TOWER, STOP ACTING LIKE A RETARDED MONKEY!"

Peter's lower lip trembled, and a tear ran down his cheek.

"YOU'RE A DAMN BABY, AREN'T YOU PARKER? YOU'RE A BABY WHO DOESN'T KNOW GOOD FROM BAD, AREN'T YOU? YOU THINK YOU'RE ABOVE PUNISHMENT AND DISCIPLINE, DON'T YOU, PARKER?"

"He's been in there for 15 minutes. That's a long lecture!" Natasha said to Tony.

"Jarvis, patch me in to Peter's room please!"

"THE NEXT TIME YOU TRY TO PULL SOMETHING LIKE THIS PARKER, I'M GOING TO KICK YOUR WORTHLESS ASS RIGHT OFF THE TOP OF THE TOWER. AND THROW THIS DUMB **** OUT RIGHT AFTER YOU" Something clattered.

The Avengers looked up in horror.

"Jarvis, how long has Steve been yelling at Peter?" Tony asked.

"For the last fifteen minutes, Sir."

Tony ran to the elevator.

"Sir, Captain Rogers just left Peter's room."

Tears streaming down his face, Peter recoiled as Steve threw a webshooter at him. It flew by his face, hit the wall and clattered to the floor. As Peter broke down completely, Steve slammed the door shut and went directly to his floor. He had hated it when he was in the army, he hated it now. He hated the things he said when he went into *that* mode. He went straight to bed.

"Tony, go check on that boy. Now!" Rhodey gave Tony a push towards the elevator.

Peter curled up on the bed. His ears still rang with Steve's voice, his body trembled and his tears flowed freely.

"Peter? Are you OK?" he heard Tony call from outside.

"Yeah." Peter managed. Was Mr. Stark going to come here next?

Tony stood outside the room. Should he go inside? The boy needed some privacy, he thought, walking away.

He was worthless, Peter thought. A burden to everyone. Cap was right, and he was proving he was a crybaby by sobbing. Peter curled into a ball, hugging himself. It was a long time before he cried himself to sleep.

"No, not Uncle Ben! Not Uncle Ben!" Peter screamed, thrashing about.

"Captain, Captain Rogers, wake up please" Jarvis alerted Steve. Steve woke immediately, pulling on a robe. "What is it?" he asked, already heading towards the door.

"It's Peter, he's having a nightmare, Captain. And he's screaming!" Steve ran to the elevator.

Steve threw the door open. "No, don't..No" Peter screamed, tossing and turning. Steve sat on the edge of the bed, and shook Peter's shoulder gently.

"Peter, wake up!" Steve called.

"Won't cry, Cap. Not a baby." Peter said, still thrashing around. The poor kid, Steve thought. What had he done to him?

"Peter, get up, get up!" Steve shook him again, and Peter finally opened his eyes.

"Cap - I - I" Peter stammered, trying to make sense of what was around him.

"You were having a nightmare, child. Go back to sleep now." Steve said in a gentle voice.

Was it a dream? "I dreamt that you -" Peter said, but then realised that Cap had really yelled at him. "No, that really happened!" Steve watched Peter's face clear for a moment before crumpling up again. Peter rubbed at his eyes. He wouldn't cry now. He wouldn't get yelled at again. "I'm not crying. Not crying, Cap." He looked up at Steve, his eyes wary and filling with tears.

"Peter, come here." Steve wiped away Peter's tears, then gathered the boy into his lap. "I did yell at you because you needed discipline. But that's over now, child. Hush now. No more crying."

The boy trembled in his arms, and Steve felt pangs of guilt eat at him. Peter was only fifteen. He did not have comrades who got screamed at next to him and had no way of knowing that Steve had not meant the things he'd said. If Peter had been spanked, there would have been comfort and forgiveness later, which Steve had forgotten to give. He held Peter tightly.

The hug felt good, but Peter was confused. What was true? What Cap yelled before, or the way he was holding him now? "Cap, am I worthless?" Peter whispered.

"You're not worthless, Peter. I didn't mean anything I called you, pet." Steve said. Peter was tense in his arms, and so tiny. Steve rubbed his back and cuddled him close, whispering comfort. Peter was too tired to resist or even think, and he felt himself drift off. Steve felt the boy grew heavier in his arms. Gently, he laid him back down, and pulled the covers up. Peter's pillow was wet, and Steve flipped it over. Just how much had the boy cried?

The next morning, when Steve was in the common kitchen, Peter walked in, eyes still red. Steve hugged the boy tightly saying "No hard feelings, little spider?" Sam came in next and put an arm around Peter. "Had the army treatment yesterday, kid?" he asked, to which Steve answered, "He took it like a trooper. Stood like a rock right through!"

"I didn't, really. I broke down." Peter said, looking down as he sat down at the table.

Peter looked up as a stack of chocolate chip pancakes appeared in front of him. Sam took the bottle of syrup and poured it on the pancakes with a "Dig in, spiderling!"

Pietro came in at that moment, and saw the chocolate chip pancakes. "There are some more in the cloche, punk" Clint pointed out. Pietro opened it to find one. Just one.

He put it on a plate and reached for the syrup, as Clint ruffled Peter's hair. "You survived yesterday, kid! Good for you!"

Pietro looked on in disbelief. Peter wasn't in any discomfort he could see. What did he survive? He got up from the table just as Steve hugged Peter from the back.

Tony walked in then, still in the clothes he was wearing the night before.

Steve kissed Peter on the top of his head, and Peter blushed.

"So that's what your commanding officer did?" Tony asked.

"No, he didn't. In fact the last thing he told me was that he wasn't going to kiss me." Steve answered, giving Peter another squeeze.

Peter laughed, though he was still confused about the previous night. Was he really liked here?


End file.
